48 comments:

To challenge the system, someone has to be determined. They have to not care what anyone else thinks and just want to do it for themselves. They have to have a somewhat rebellious spirit. They have to be prepared to run into some opposition along the way, but to be able to go ahead and carry out their plans. They have to be open to criticism, as some people won't like what they're doing. They have to be able to get back up when they fall down.

My favorite stick-it-to-the man movie and book would have to be The Outsiders. The Giver (book) comes in a close second.

I do not totally agree with Amy W, I don't think people need to want to do something for themselves to challenge the system. All they need to do is have the will to change something. If they have that will, theres a way. Now, with that will, there comes determination, perserverance, strength in odds, and the ability to resist peer presure. In The Outsiders they end up in unfortunate circumstances and challenge the system simply by refusing to give up hpe and life. They keep pushing for a world that they know exists, but is out of their reach. You've got to have a strong character, one that is not easily shaken; though it will always be a hard journey.

Challenging the system can be difficult if you are subject to peer pressure. To be able to challenge it, you need to have a strong mental mentallity. You also need to have a strong character and you have to be able to stand up for what you think is right. I agree with what amyw says. You have to expect obstacles because people will stand in your way. YOu just have to keep on going. Mainly, it takes a lot of courage.

If you want to "stick it to the man" you have to have a lot of determination. You shouldn't care about what other people think, and you need to be able to stand up for what you believe in. Like Morgan T said, you have to expect obstacles, and you have to expect that there will be people who disagree with what you're doing. You just can't let those obstacles bring you down.

I will second the point that some people have made on willpower: two years ago my father fought an advanced school system because they would only let people with social security in (so an immigrant could not easily go) and they let me in. I also agree with morgant on that it requires a strong mentality, almost to the point of stubborness. I will again highlight the point with an anecdote. Once, some kids were picking on a mentally disabled kid, saying that he was their friend, and the security people wouldn't do anything, so I didn't give up or join in, I went to the principal and got something done. But I also think it needs organization; you need to get a group of people to get something done now a days. One example would be political lobbies. But I believe it takes endurance most of all. The French Resistance really had to keep at it to fight the Nazis, since they were a rag-tag team of citizens. Still, they saved a great many number of people from Death Camps, and helped the American Invasion. There IS no better example of sticking it to the man than those brave men and women who stood up to one of the most oppressive regimes in history.

I believe that all you need to challenge the system is a will a want and resources to reach your goal. You have to be willing to challenge the authorities and not care about the consequences and there is no law that can hold you back. Defeat is hard especially to those who work hard, but you have to be willing to accept it and challenge it in a new way. As Edison once said "I'm not wrong I've just found a thousand ways that won't work.

I think taht it takes a lot of guts to challenge the system. First of all, what's the system? It's a lot of things. rules we follow, the government, and maybe even facts or teachings. Unfortunately, the greater number of our population just take things for granted and take things for what they are. A person with good character should be able to see things that are just and unjust. Those are the people who change the way the general population sees things. If you think Gahndi, Martin Luther King Jr., or George Washington were going to just accept the unfairness that surrounded them, you are wrong. My favorite "stick it to the man" movie was deffinately the Dead poet's Society. Robin Williams portrays a professor who has his class rip out a page of their book that would have suppressed them to bein hard-headed. things like that take audacity, but to challenge the system, you have to be just and make sure you are right. Then, stand up for what you believe in. i think that challenging the system is what it's going to take to change global warming, the Iraq war, adn our dependence on oil.

I totally agree with what everyone else has said. I especially liked when josed said, "There IS no better example of sticking it to the man than those brave men and women who stood up to one of the most oppressive regimes in history." I agree completely. When I personaly think of "sticking it to the man" I think of all these people together taking down this really mean giant. There have been so many examples in history and literature of the small minority taking down the unjust majority. For instance, the American Revolution. The chances of us actually winning were like none. But although we were smaller our thoughts and our heart were stronger. In order to actually challenge the system, you have to be a risk taker, strongly believe your ideas (but be willing to take advice from others), and keep trying till you win.

Sticking it to the man or challenging the system takes guts and kind of a hard head because if you are easily persuaded to give up on what you were doing than you won't get very far. You need to have a sense of direction so that you can know when it is the right time to keep pushing forward or maybe if it is time to try other ways to "stick it to the man" which ever way you are doing that. I agree with the comment that a lot of other people left that you have to not care what others think about you because not everyone will like what you are doing. You also need to have an optimistic outlook on life because people will be shutting you down and you will also be running into multiple obsticles and you can't let those turn you around. I also agree with what morgan W said that if there is a will there is a way. One of my favorite stick it to the man movies is The School Of Rock. In that movie the kids are sticking it to the man other wise known as the principle when they play these instuments and travel to the Rock Fest or something like that instead of following what she said about not doing the rock ban thing or anything with music in class.

I think school of rock is a great stick it to the man movie. But I have a question: doesn't society discourage sticking it to the man? Think about how the government disbanded early worker's union protests. Think of Tiananmen Square in China. Think of the Soviet Union. Even at a basic level: did you know you can get reffered to the main office in some schools, simply on grounds of insubordination? We have to face it, sticking it to the man takes endurance of severe consequences: jail like Rosa Parks or even torture like the original Martyrs in ancient Rome. 1984 is a book about what happens when too few people stick it to the man, and the few that do are wussies at heart. So truly, those "true stickers" are people who truly don't deserve their lot but keep at it because they BELIEVE. In something. A cause. A religion. A country.

In order to challenge the system, you need to want it with all your heart, like what everyone is saying about will power. Whether you were thrown into the situation, or if you did it for yourself, like in the movie Kids In America . Once you get past the terrible acting of Nicole Richie, it has all of the elements of a true 'stick it to the man' plot (suspensions, protests and all). I think that the people who challenge the system are those who have just let it be for so long, and something snaps in them, making them want to change whatever is happening.

I honestly believe that only true heartfelt uncoaxed passion is what causes rebellion. People don't just wake up one day and stand up for things. They either do it because they have seen firsthand the things going wrong and want to change them, or they do it because of peer pressure. I am a strong believer in challenging the system as a form of democracy. Without rebellion, there would be no America, no civil rights, an no amenments after the bill of rights. If someone isn't passionate about the cause they are challenging and the reasons fo their challenge, then they will ultimately lose focus and the cause will die. It takes sacrifice to challenge the system, becuase it never ever comes without a price. It takes heart, character, individuality, and spirit. Above all though, it takes belief. Without belief, a person can be swayed to the dark side. Belief builds the fire of rebellion. Many people said that it took determination to challenge the system, but it is so much more than that, it really is all about the reasons why you are standing up and how much those reasons mean to you. If we don't get people standing up against global warming, genocide, bad presidents, and bad wars, then the spirit of America will die. In books such as Fahrenheit 451, challenging the systems brings freedom and rebirth into a new form of living. In many ballet companies, challenging the system brings the greatest artists of our time. Art blooms from rebellion, and so does literature. We would be nothing without people who challenge the system.

I think that "Sticking it to the man" and challenging the system is simply standing up for what you believe in. When I think of the "man" I imagine it as society's view of the world, and what it thinks people should do or believe, or what not to do and what not to believe. People are always telling you to do things, and to follow the crowd. Challenging the system means standing up and saying, 'Don't tell me how to live my life; I have my own beliefs and opinions, and I'll stick to them!'

I agree with Josed about The School Of Rock being a great example of "sticking it to the man". Breaking away from a stereotypical lifestyle is important to show individuality and find our who you really are by not being just another face in the crowd. If something is wrong then stick up for it. Find you own beliefs and don't follow anyone else's just because their your parents or best friends. Don't be afraid to question idea's and just overall be an independent thinker; not for others but for yourself

I definatley think if you want to "stick it to the man" you have to be able to stand up for something you beleive in even if no one else will do it with you. A great example of this is Rosa Parks, no one else was brave enough to tell the bus driver that they wanted to sit at the front of the bus but she did.

I know that practically everyone has said that you need DETERMINATION to challenge the system, and I completely agree :P. I think that you also need self-control and a sense of understanding. You also need to be open-minded. Some movies that I have watched that challenge the system are She’s the Man and School of Rock! I have read a banned book, which is Three Wishes and it challenges how to properly act in public. I also think that there are TONS of examples of “sticking it to da man” in our history. Boycotting, protesting, and fighting in wars all challenge one system or another. Oh, and sticking it to da man and challenging the system are the same, so… I know that practically everyone has said that you need DETERMINATION to stick it to da man, and I completely agree :P. I think that you also need self-control and a sense of understanding. You also need to be open-minded.

I think the main qualities that need to be present when challanging the system are determination and bravery and a true sense of doing the right thing for the good of the people. You have to not be afraid to do what you think is right. Rosa Parks is a perfect example. She refused to give up her seat, going against the rules. It was more than just refusing to give up her seat, she refused to follow our whole social system. Knowing that she could go to jail for her actions she wanted to "stick it to the man." In this instance sticking to the man can mean sticking to an entire country. With her bravery she started a revolution. When you "stick it to the man" you show them that "hey I know that this is breaking some rules but I have to stand up for what I believe in."

To challenge the system, you need determination to succeed in what you are trying to do. You need perseverance to challenge the system, especially if the first time you get stopped. To stick it to the man means to stand up for ones self and do whats right, to tell someone what you think. Two examples that I think show this are Rosa Parks and the bus transportation system and the Revolutionaries during the Revolutionary War against Britain. They both stood up for themselves and told others what they thought, and stuck it to the man.

Maximum Ride is a great example of stick it to the man. It is the story of 6 kids who are 98% Human and 2% bird. Basically they have wings. They are on the run from the scientist who created them. It is a great book. Max is the main character of the book. she is intellegent, strong, and some what of a smart alek.Unless you've read the books you probably don't get what i am talking about, but i don't want to spoil them for you.Basically, to challenge the system you have to take risks and stand up for what you believe in, even if you could get hurt for it.

I think it requires determination and really having a passion for your cause to stick it to the man. If you are going to challenge the system you need to have a cause as well. You can't go saying I am going to challenge the system, but not do anything to challenge it. I also think you need to have the power to say something though as well. For example, if there is a big group of people who want to do something about what they don't agree about in a system then they need to say something. If not, be the one to speak out your thoughts take risks no matter what the consequences are, that will get you the most out of your goal to challenge the system if you follow these "rules" to challenging.

I think that the whole idea of challenging the system has to do with what you believe in and what you will be willing to stand up for. Stand up on your own, and push for what you believe in. It takes confidence, and you have to believe in yourself. Determination is a HUGE part of “sticking it to the man”. Also, you must be successful in life. Rosa Parks is a perfect example. She never took no for an answer. Another person is Martin Luther King Jr. who kept fighting for he believed in. You must have courage, never give up. Just don’t take no as an answer. You also need to have a purpose for challenging the system. Don’t let things pass you by. Take a stand, and make some change in the world! This is what I think challenging the system means.

believe that challenging the system means to be able to think and always make connections and to remember things. In the movie A Good Year every line was important to the story so you really had to be paying attention to understand it and enjoy it. Also, I think that what amyw said is exactly the same as what I think. People have to be totally determined, and to not car about what people say, and to be able to pull themselves up when they fall down. They have to go for the gold and do what ever they can to get there.

I beleive that in order to "stick it to the man" you need to want it more than anything. I agree with everyone else who said that passion is key whole heartedly. If you don't want it so bad it hurts you won't get it because you will wimp out when things start getting hard. There are bound to be people who are against you. Your best friend might not even agree with you and you have to be able to go on. I agree with Zach h. Maximum Ride is a really good example of this. It shows that if its important to you, you can change the world. Even if you're a teenager. Another good example is the 5th Harry Potter book. They take out the entire ministry together because it's what they beleive in. They know what they want, they go for it and make a difference. That is challenging the system.

To challenge the system is to go against what society or anything thinks is good or right and put forth a new idea or way of doing things you think is better. As everyone else has said you need determination, but you need more than that. You have to BELIEVE with your whole heart that you are in the right and what you are challenging is wrong. The first example of challenging the system that came to my mind was Harry Potter in the Order of the Phoenix when everyone thinks that he has lost his mind when he says that Voldermort has returned, but he KNOWS that he hasn't lost his mind and he risks physical pain, humiliation, and loss of friends in order to prove that Voldemort was back. This just shows that you have believe in your challenge and also that you have to make sacrifices while "sticking it to the man"!

To challenge the system you have to have determination, passion, and a certain amount of luck. When Ms. Smith added laptops to the classroom, if the first freshman class abused them then the laptops wouldn't have stayed. It takes passion to get started, determination to keep you going, and some luck to keep the changes there.

I think it only takes pure passion to challenge the system. If there is not 100% passion, then the system can't and will not be challenged. Passion is the drive behind everything. Women would not have been successful at challenging the system for women's rights, if everyone fighting had not had the passion to fight for it. Having that passion is what makes people willing to go to complete extremes, no matter what the outcome will be, they have total trust in what they're doing is what NEEDS to happen! If the passion is there, then everything else will fall into palce, and they will be successful at challenging the system. If no one did challenge the systems, then our lives would be so boring following the same thing everyday, we would not have come to near the strides in tecnology or politically if no one was willing to challenge the system, we may not even be Americans!

I think that to stick it to the man and challenge the system you need to be a leader and not a follower. It is someone who is not afraid of what other people think and that is very passionate in their beliefs. To stick up for something it has to be very important to you and something that is worth fighting for such as what Rosa Parks did on the bus or Martin Luther King. I think that it takes a very determined person to challenge the system

To challenge a system it takes a lot of determination and confidence. To challenge the system takes will power to not to give up when it doesn't work. Like lesliel stated to pick themselves up when they fall. For example, in October Sky the movie the kids passion is rockets and even when his dad tells he can't launch them anymore and they are a waste of his time he doesn't give up. To stick it to the man you need the same qualities that you need to challenge the system. Do whatever it takes to get there.

Continuing what was said in class about our class holding up the resposibilitys of challenging the traditional pen and paper, regurgitating information, way of school, I think that our class can do it just as well or even better than the class last year. Maybe we can make it clear that this is a more efficient, creative, challenging, inventive, advanced, and helpful way of learning. To where the other teachers will grasp the fact that we as freshman can do these things and Ms.Smith is doing the right thing, the thing that is better for us, the thing that will help our minds grow and develop in more advanced ways and maybe they will pick up on some of the methods because they will notice the difference in our work habits and thinking skills and they will want their students to display these abilities also. Ms.Smith, I am sorry that you had to take so much ridiculing from the other teachers. I am glad that you had the passion and perservierance to continue on with what you were doing because I can already tell that this way of learning will better prepare me for the rest of my learning career and life.

When I think of "sticking it to the man", I think of many things. Mainly I think of That 70's Show and Hyde because that's something he would say. But I also think of anarchy. I would say that challenging the system is just going against the grain and, as corny as it sounds, doing what you want to. You have to do and say what you want and not just because someone else said it but because it's what you mean and feel. That's why I hate stereotypes because they just project the idea that people who are a certain way have to be a certain way. To challenge the system, you have to do what you want to do. You need ambition and desire. When someone challenges the system, it usually results in them changing something. So you also need to see a need for change and have a want to do it. You can't sit back and watch things happen, you have to make it happen. Then, you are defying expectations and challenging the system.

I think that challenging the system is not easy in any circumstance, but you don't always have to go against the crowd to do it. Sometimes the majority will not like the system either, but will do nothing about it either because they're afraid of being put down, or they just don't want to bother. To challenge the system, you have to care enough to at least tell people about your opinion. A book that I remember as a "Stick it to the man" type, was Stargirl. We had to read it in fifth grade, and it was about a girl who didn't give a crap about what other people think, and is nice to everyone, and rarely gets offended. It isn't a stick it to the man book, so much as a cheesy "be yourself" book. Sappyness aside, I think it had a similar message/theme.

Challenging the system is something we do every day in LA. I mean who uses laptops to learn and chats for education?!?!? Besides us, I mean. Some of my favorite "challenge the system" books are ones by L.E. Modesitt Jr. There are always main characters that do their own thing but end up changing the world. That's about all I can say without spoiling the story. =)

To challenge the system, someone must first have passion. They must really want to do it or else they will most likely get out when the going gets rough. The passion will fuel a determination that can not be stopped. After the passion and determination, one needs knowledge. If you don't know what you are talking about, trying to do, or how you are going to do it, their is no way you are going to be able to do it. You must know the issue so that you can fight it in ways that make sense and that will actually work. A movie I have watched that challenges the system is She's the Man.

Oh wow, challenging the system and sticking it to the man is what i feel youth it all about. mostly because we can't have a say in things like politics and what happens to our world. not going to lie, a lot of things in the world make me so mad and i do what i can to change it.i hate systems, because its jsut a term used when people are too close-minded to think of more than one way to do things.so if you belive in a cause, go for it because there is no way to change things if "the man" isnt pushed. the worst is when "the man" has ways of stopping you. but if you know it's right, i say fight back, fight back hard.Kristinah, i like what you said, rebellion would be worthless if you let someone purssuade you differerntly from what you belive. and Malissaz, you said passion is what it takes. like right now, im just completly stoked that this was a question because a passion of mine is to get poepel to open thier eyes to what's around them. i want peopel to also see that things could be SO much better.Nicolek, i like that, leaders not followers. its the real leaders that make it happen. if you jsut follow someone else, your own opinions may never get shared. and it could be one person's passion and determination that changes the world. Rebellion means possibilities. no one can ever tell anyone else that they are not worth soemthing. The only time that can happen is if you see a major flaw in the system or totally follow the man when you know he's wrong, but don't do anything to stop it. the world is full of the best and worst things, embrace the best, change the worst.

By the way maddieh, i enjoyed your connection to Hyde from That 70's Show.

When i think of challenging the system , i usually think of music. My favorite band, Anberlin, has a new CD called Cities. They are a Christian Emoish Alternative band the name of the song in "Alexithymia". here is the first verse and chorus:

Don't try to wake me upEven if the sun really does come out tomorrowDon't believe anything you say Anymore, in the morn, in the morningBricks to this old house are breakingSteel would have weathered but now forlorningIt's alarming how loud the silence screamsNo warn, no warn, no warningAddictions fill the table where the family used to sitAnd conversate Conversate to the soundsTo the sounds of a record playerWith it's jumping needle and the lights that grow dim over time

With downcast eyesThere's more to living than being aliveWith downcast eyesThere's more to living than being alive

To chalenge the system it takes courage and a strong belief in something. I dont think you should challenge the system just because others are doing it. It also involves being a leader and being able to stand up when no one else will. TO challenge the system you shouldnt care much about what other people think and pay more attention to what you believe in.

to challenge the system, you need to be brave enough to actually do the thing to challenge the system, you need to be smart enough to know what to do, and you need to truly believe that what you are doing is the right thing to do, otherwise you could not go through with whatever it is that you're trying to do.

To challenge the system, you have to have the courage to break the pattern of everyday life and go against the ruling power. You can't care what other people think of you or what will happen if you go against what you are meant to believe. You have to have a strong mindset and not be persuaded out of challenging the system. Also, if you agree with the system, you shouldn't challenge it just because everyone else is. You have to be an individual not anonymous.

I think to challenge the system you have say and do what everyone else is thinking. When everyone knows that something is not the way is should be that is when you have to step up and say something. If you dont express your voice than no one else will. When you step out and say something there will be others who agree with you.

I agree with maddieh about how challenging the system involves a bit of anarchy. As a matter of fact, it takes a bit of anarchy to maintain the governments of the world: think about it: Had workers not rioted here in Colorado so badly that the National Guard had to intervene, we might not have gotten workers rights. All of us might be working in sweat shops rather than blogging from the comfort of our homes.

I am someone who would not usually challange the system. I am one who would step back and anilyze every possible outcome before even thinking about stepping forward.Challenging the system can be risky and some what foolish. To do this is to walk on a thin knife stray but a little too far and your in deep trouble.

I think that it takes a very strong person to challenge the system because you are not going along with what everyone else�s doing. You are sort of rebelling against the norm and I think that takes courage and bravery to do that. I think that in order to challenge the system you have to be willing to hear people put you down ion the process and tell you that you cant do it. People who challenge the system are not afraid of rejection.

I agree with everyone else that Jack and Ralf have one of the central relationships. I think that if they start to dissagree to much then things will get thrown out of the little balance they were able to achieve. Jack and Piggy also have a central relation ship and I think that Piggy will have a big part to play in the survival of the boys.The beast is really what is tearing them apart. There is nothing worse then when a group is split over something that may or may not even be real. I don't think that I have ever had something like this happen to me and I don't think I ever do but odds are it will.

I want to ask a question: what physical things do you guys think it takes to challenge a system. I think it takes a few other people, and a plan. The French resistance had specialized spies, along with costumes. What do you guys think

I am a strong believer of being able to back up what you say. I do believe that it takes Passion first to want to challenge a system but I think that you can have all the passion in the world but not have the "drive".Having drive VS. having passion means being able to put the extra time into researching or organizing what ever you need to show that you aren’t just passionate but intelligent as well. For example if you went to some business meeting to change rules or laws you NEED to know what the rules are to argue about them. Saying “I just don't like the rules" says one of two things.1. You jus simply like to stir up troubleOr2. You have that opinion because someone else does. I think knowledge is a huge factor in challenging a system

There are many ways to challenge te system. Some people challenge the system by protesting laws and acts that they do not think are right. Some people use intellect to challenge the system. Maybe they try to move forward ni an area of science thought to be fully explored. Maybe they publish a book on a controversial subject. But if you are a student, one of the easiest ways to challenge the system is to have an opinion that disagrees with what you are being taught.